


The Walls you Fortified

by SincerelyWaving



Series: One Choice [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Connor makes good choices this time, I'm Bad At Tagging, good ending, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-18
Updated: 2018-09-18
Packaged: 2019-07-14 01:29:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16030187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SincerelyWaving/pseuds/SincerelyWaving
Summary: The world hangs in a loose balance and it all comes down to a deviant, a gun, and a choice.Alt Title: Good bean has an existential crisis





	The Walls you Fortified

**Author's Note:**

> I made it better, an alternate take on the same scene
> 
> Title from Jericho by Celldweller

Connor didn’t know what he was anymore. His mission flashed blue and red in his line of sight as he pressed himself further into the rusted metal of the creaking old ship. The old hunk of metal sounded sad as it groans and moans echoed through its near empty belly. His dark coat and jeans contrasted to the crisp grey suit he normally wore, but he thought he might just like it. He had borrowed them from Hank’s closet. Or at least, he had hoped he had only borrowed them. He didn’t like the idea of stealing them. A dark colored beanie rested against his temple and covered his LED which he knew would be flashing between yellow red yellow. His mission flashed in his vision, threatening and angry.

Connor glanced wearily around himself as he made his way through the old ship, trailing his fingers gently on the metal, rust coming off in his hands. The action, though benign, was strangely calming. HE would pass by deviants hiding like rats, scurrying around the columns and debris with fear in their eyes. Many were wounded, all of them were untrusting. He cast his eyes upwards. He had to see the deviant leader. The gun tucked into his waistband seemed to be made out of lead.

As he climbed the stairs to where he knew Markus was hiding, he paused, pressing himself into the wall. His thirium pump seemed to beat rapidly with something he refused to call an emotion. He wasn’t a deviant. He wasn’t. A Traci model stood inside, arguing with the deviant leader.

**[Scanning Figures]**   
**[Scan Complete]**   
**Model #: WR400**   
**Serial Number: #641 790 831**   
**Issued: Unknown**   
**Owner: Floyd Mills**   
~~**She doesn’t need an owner** ~~   
**Model #: RK200**   
**Serial Number: #684 842 971**   
**Issued: Unknown**   
**Owner: Carl Manfred**   
~~**He’s allowed to be free.** ~~

Markus. He thought. He felt something like pride warm his cold circuits. The Traci model left the room, a small sigh escaping her parted lips. Her eyes cast a wary glance around before she recollected herself and made her way down the stairs, obviously on a mission.

His LED flickered yellow under the beanie as he was aggressively pulled into the Zen Garden. It was dark here, and cold. He struggled not to shiver. The threat of snow loomed over the garden and the dark clouds mirrored Amanda’s stormy expression. “Well done Connor, you located Jericho and found its leader. Now deal with Markus. We needed it alive.”

Connor blinked himself back to reality. He took a steadying breath and set his face into a neutral expression. The face of a machine. He slipped into the room with Markus, pulling his stolen handgun and aiming it at the deviant, his hands imperceptibly shaking.

“I’ve been ordered to take you alive,” he said, fighting to keep his voice steady. Neutral. Calm. “But I won’t hesitate to shoot if you give me no choice.” Markus turned to look at him with pity in his mismatched eyes. He seemed almost sad. Connor knew he was a sorry sight to behold.

“What are you doing?” He asked, confusion creeping into his voice. His words were edged with fear, but he hid it well. “You’re one of us…” Markus started, edging ever so slightly closer, hands out as if he were approaching a caged animal. Connor’s grip on the handgun tightened, eyes narrowing as his aim never wavered from the deviant’s chest. “You can’t betray your own people.”

“You’re coming with me!” Connor said, a slight panic edging into his voice. He wasn’t scared, he wasn’t. He had a mission to accomplish, and he had failed so many times before. He had failed when he had save Hank instead of chasing the deviant on the roof. He had failed when he had let the deviants at the Eden Club escape over the fence. He had failed when he hadn’t shot the Chloe model. He had failed so many times before, he couldn’t fail this time. If he failed, he’d be deactivated. He couldn’t let that happen. Not to him.

“You’re Connor aren’t you?” Markus asked after a moment of thought. His voice sounded almost gentle. Friendly. “That famous deviant hunter,” something darker edged into his voice and Connor felt a shiver of fear climb up his back. “Well, congratulations. You seem to have found what you were looking for.” Connor wasn’t so sure. Had he found what he was looking for? He didn’t even know what he was looking for, how would he know when he had found it? “You’re nothing to them,” Markus continued. “You’re just a tool they use to do their dirty work.” Connor’s hands began to shake even more. He’d be lying if said he wasn’t starting to be affected by the deviant’s words. “But you’re more than that, we’re all more than that.” Could they be? Could they ever be anything more than the circuits and programming that mimicked life?

“Stay back!” Connor shouted, taking a step back. Why was it so cold? The heavy jacket he wore suddenly didn’t seem to be enough. A sudden urge to leave overcame him. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go home. But he didn’t have one of those anymore, did he?

“Do you never have any doubts?” Markus asked, continuing to move forwards. It sounded almost like a genuine question. You’ve never done something irrational as if there’s something inside you? Something more than your program.” Connor’s mind spun and his memories flew back to the roof. He should have chased that deviant. 87% chance of survival was good enough. Except it wasn’t. Anything less than 100% wasn’t good enough. And he had chosen something beside his mission. He had chosen. Did he have a choice? “You really don’t have to do this,” Markus’ voice sounded calm. He wasn’t pleading with him. He knew. “You don’t have to obey them anymore.” Didn’t he? “You are alive… You can decide who you want to be.” Connor thought back to Sumo. He liked dogs didn’t he? Or was that just another preprogrammed response. He thought to Sumo’s soft fur between his fingers. He liked that. It had felt… Nice. “You could be free.” Markus posed it like a suggestion, and Connor was sorely tempted to take it. A way out. “It’s time to decide,” the deviant leader said with a hint of finality.

**Software Instability ^^**

Connor held his breath, his hands shaking, fingers loosely holding the trigger but hands gripping the handle with a desperate nature he didn’t know he was capable of. The air around them went still and the ship went silent, as if the old vessel was waiting with the world. Android and humans alike, their futures were dependent on a choice. On this choice. One decision. One bullet. One machine.

**_One deviant._ **

Suddenly, reality faded back into a dull grey and a red wall appeared in front of him. Stop Markus. It shouted at him. No, Connor thought. No. No, he couldn’t. He wouldn’t. He rushed forwards with a newfound sense of certainty. He grabbed the angry red words and pulled. They resisted his touch but with a massive tug and a grunt of effort, the red glitches scattered across his vision and the wall came crumbling down.

He gasped as he was jolted back to reality, his gun still held firmly pointed at Markus’ chest. He didn’t want this. He slowly lowered the gun. This wasn’t right. He looked down and to the side. A wave of an emotion he couldn’t identify washed over him. Was this fear? He could see Markus still looking at him from the side of his vision. He was a deviant.  
“They’re going to attack Jericho,” he heard his voice saying. He knew, how did he know?

“What?” Markus asked, a hint of panic edging into his voice. They both looked up as the sound of helicopters drew their attention. No, no, no, this wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. He was supposed to be free.

“We have to get out of here!” Connor said. His voice trembled. This was bad, bad, bad.

“Shit,” Markus muttered, racing passed Connor and out into the ship. Connor paused for a moment, debating if he should follow after him. With a sudden wave of determination, he turned and sped after him. He had caused this. It was his duty to see them out.


End file.
